The ‘sunny’ side of latte art

Inside the new Espresso Vivace coffee shop on Denny Way and Republican are several beautiful paintings of latte art — those intricate leaf and heart designs skilled baristas draw in white and brown on your latte foam.

Somber and elegant, the designs reflect the studious, woody atmosphere of many Seattle coffee shops.

I was at Vivace Tuesday. Those designs, mastered by and championed by Vivace founder David Schomer (who’s produced a video on the subject) — they fit.

Then Wednesday, at the Uptown Espresso in West Seattle, a barista handed me and my editor lattes topped with smiley-faced suns.

The barista said it was nothing new, but I hadn’t seen anything like it before. I lit up, took out my phone and snapped a picture.

This was my first time at this shop. And already, it felt different.

Have you run into any unusual latte art around town? Where?

P.S. — For you barista wanna-be’s, here’s a YouTube clip that shows how to turn foam into fabulous.